Ankle injuries resulting from forced internal rotation and flexion of the ankle joint are commonly seen in work and sport activities and routinely result from participation in sports such as running, tennis, basketball, and hiking. These ankle injuries vary in severity from simple ligament pulls to ligament ruptures and bone fractures. In certain cases, lengthy time periods are required to achieve full recovery, though many types of sprains tend to recur. Additionally, when surgical intervention is required such as an arthroscopic procedure to repair a ligament rupture or the open reduction internal fixation of a fracture, the ankle joint typically exhibits prolonged post-operative swelling which is evident throughout a substantial portion of the rehabilitation process.
In the prior art, a common practice to facilitate the treatment of acute and chronic ankle sprains as well as fractures with minimal displacement of the foot and ankle is to fit the ankle of a patient with a form of a walking cast or brace. Walking casts, braces and other types of post-operative immobilization devices are also commonly utilized subsequent to the aforementioned surgical procedures. An example of a device used to provide rehabilitative support to the ankle joint is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,768 and sold under the trademark Cam Walker II by Zinco Industries, Inc. of Pasadena, Calif. This device generally comprises a boot and strap arrangement which is attachable to the lower leg, ankle and foot of the wearer to provide support to the ankle joint and a selectively adjustable controlled range of ankle motion. However, this device and those similar thereto, as well as walking casts, possess certain deficiencies which detract from their overall utility.
With regard to walking casts, those made of plaster or similar materials are generally susceptible to fatigue cracking and fracture, and typically do not incorporate mechanisms for providing limited movement of the ankle joint. Additionally, since walking casts are not selectively removable from the foot of the patient, hot or cold may not be applied .to the ankle joint during the rehabilitation process to facilitate healing. In addition to being bulky and unsightly, walking casts and other types of prior art ankle support devices are also not adapted to reduce the swelling of the ankle during the post-operative rehabilitation process. Further, since walking casts and other types of prior art support devices are fitted to the ankle joint when the same is in a swelled condition, as the swelling is reduced during the rehabilitation process, a poor fit between the walking cast or support device and the wearer's foot often results. Though certain types of prior art ankle support devices are removable from the ankle joint to allow hot or cold to be applied thereto, the inability of these devices to permit such application while the device is in place upon and supporting the ankle joint creates certain risks for the patient. In this respect, when the support device is removed from the foot to treat the ankle joint, the resultant lack of ankle joint support makes the same susceptible to undesired flexion or displacement and further injury. The present invention addresses these and other deficiencies associated with prior art post-operative ankle joint rehabilitation devices by providing a shoe which is adapted to minimize swelling of the ankle joint while providing full support to the same, as well as allow for the application of hot or cold therapy to the ankle joint while the shoe is in place upon the foot of the patient.